1938 Excelsior Manxman 350

Lot details
Registration No: COP 27
Frame No: JSM4
Engine No: CSC100/SH
cc: 348
MOT Expiry Date: None

The Excelsior company could trace its history back to 1874 as a manufacturer of ordinary bicycles and were one of Britain's pioneer motorcycle manufacturers building their first motorcycle in 1896. Historically they had always been involved in motorcycle competition securing numerous successes at Brooklands and winning the 1929 Lightweight TT. For 1933 the company introduced a new machine for competition use featuring a twin high cam single-cylinder engine with a radial four-valve head and twin carburettors built specially for the company by Blackburne. Dubbed the Mechanical Marvel it won the 1933 TT but quickly gained a reputation for being hard to keep in tune and was dropped at the end of the 1934 season to be replaced by a machine that secured Excelsior's reputation. The new model, named the Manxman, was initially available in 246cc and 346cc guises sharing a common stroke with a 496cc version being added to the range for the 1936 season. The Manxman's single overhead cam, single-cylinder engine employed dry sump lubrication and was mechanically straightforward and robust. For the first season's production both the 250cc and 350cc models were offered with full road equipment. However, by the time that the 500cc class version joined the range, dedicated racing versions were being offered alongside the road legal variants. The 1937 season 250cc and 350cc versions benefited from Excelsior's competition activities, adopting new short-stroke engine dimensions as used by the works machines in addition to an improved lubrication system. The 500cc version was joined by a "super sports" variant fitted with a bronze head, close-ratio gears and a competition mag-dyno plus quickly detachable lighting system. Little changed for 1938 but for 1939 the range adopted hairpin valve springs and in the case of the racing variants the gearbox was mounted directly to the crankcase with power being taken from the crankshaft sprocket to the gearbox by a duplex primary drive.

The 350cc version offered is arguably the most significant Manxman to survive. The works prepared the machine for an observed and controlled trial, overseen by Henry Laird ('Tappitz') of 'Motor Cycling', at Donnington in February 1938. Ridden by H G Tyrell-Smith and 'Ginger' Woods it completed 1,000 miles (520 laps) in a time of 16 hours and 31 minutes at an average speed of 60.65 mph; a penultimate lap speed of 68.02 mph testifying to the machine's reliability.

Following its success at Donnington, Tyrrell-Smith was given authority to prepare it for use in the 1938 International Six Days Trial which required the fitment of lights, a silencer and other necessary road equipment. Tyrell-Smith and 'COP 27' went on to secure a coveted Gold Medal, presently in the hands of a memorabilia collector in Spain, keeping a clean sheet throughout the six days and recording a faster time at Donnington than the rival 500 machines.

'COP 27' was then returned to the works where it remained until 1942 when it was used by Dennis Walker, the son of Excelsior Managing Director Eric Walker, in the course of his duties as an ARP dispatch rider, before again returning to the Excelsior race shop where it remained until 1965 when it, along with the contents of the race shop were purchased by Norman Webb following Excelsior's closure. He retained the machine until the early 1990's when it was purchased by John Harrowell who undertook its restoration and researched its history.

Described as being in "good" condition throughout, 'COP 27' is presented in racing trim with a megaphone fitted, but is accompanied by the parts required to convert it to road trim. It is offered with a Swansea V5C and a comprehensive history file including a letter from former Excelsior Technical Manager Alan Bruce authenticating its history in regard to the observed trial and ISDT of 1938, a letter from Dennis Walker explaining the bike's war time activities and photographs, press cuttings, letters etc.

PLEASE NOTE: We are led to believe that this machine as it is now is not the one which took part n the 1,000 Miles Trial at Donington, as the frame number and other component parts were changed following this event. However, the rest of the history if correct as per the catalogue.